Wild edible greens are a key ingredient of the so-called Mediterranean diet and they are
commonly used in various local dishes in their raw or processed form. Domestic processing of edible
greens may affect their nutritional value and chemical profile. In this work, six wild species (e.g.,
Cichorium spinosum L. (S1); Centaurea raphanina subsp. mixta (DC.) Runemark (S2); Picris echioides (L.)
Holub (S3); Urospermum picroides (L.) Scop. ex. F.W. Schmidt (S4); Sonchus oleraceus L. (S5); and S.
asper L. (S6)) were assessed for the effect of domestic processing (boiling) on chemical composition
and bioactivities. Concerning the chemical composition, glucose, oxalic acid, α-tocopherol, and
α-linolenic acid were the most abundant compounds, especially in P. echiodes leaves. After decoction,
mainly sugars, tocopherols, and oxalic acid were decreased. The species and processing affected the
phenolic compounds content and antioxidant, cytotoxicity, and anti-inflammatory activities. Specific
compounds were not previously detected in the studied species, while hydroethanolic extracts
contained a higher total phenolic compound content. Hydroethanolic and aqueous extracts were
effective towards a range of bacterial and fungi strains. Therefore, the consumption of leaves has
health-promoting properties owing to the bioactive compounds and can be integrated into healthy
diets. However, domestic cooking may affect the chemical profile and bioactivities of the edible leaves,
especially in the case of free sugars and phenolic compound content where a significant reduction
was recorded in leaves after decoction. On the other hand, domestic processing could be beneficial
since it reduces the oxalic acid content in edible leaves, which is considered an antinutritional factor.
